


When Night Comes

by Lord Nyoka (SilverofSouls)



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-10-21
Packaged: 2018-02-22 02:26:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2491055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverofSouls/pseuds/Lord%20Nyoka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While caring for Korra, Asami struggles with nightmares of her own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Night Comes

Asami knelt in front of the metal frame of the wheelchair, debating the final placements of the seat’s cushions for what felt like the hundredth time. Would angling the back too far be uncomfortable for Korra? Would she want the firm seat, or would she prefer a softer one? Could she try to make it a more vibrant color? Was there a shade in the world that was cheerful enough to bring a smile to the Avatar’s face?

“Hey,” said a voice behind her, pulling Asami up from her knees. She spun on her heel and found herself face to face with Korra, who was standing in front of the door to her workshop looking as strong and determined as she had ever seen her.

“Korra, w-what happened?” Asami stuttered gracelessly, nearly knocked over from the sight. She had taken care of the broken girl personally for nearly a week. She had listened to her screams of frustration over the lost feeling in her limbs. “How can you walk?”

The Avatar blinked in confusion. “I…use my legs?” she offered with a gentle smirk, giving a helpful demonstration by stepping closer to Asami.

“You’ve been paralyzed for days,” the engineer insisted. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to focus due to the fact that Korra was giving her  _that look_ – the one that made her knees shake, that inexplicably made her feel so much smaller than the other girl.

Korra’s strong arms came to rest on either side of Asami, hands gripping the seat that the older girl now found herself leaning against. For a moment, they both hesitated, two currents of warm breath meeting in mid-air before the Avatar wordlessly brought her lips to Asami’s.

She kissed her with a vigor the engineer had not anticipated. She nearly lost her footing, but Korra’s hands were there, gripping her wrists to keep her steady before lacing their fingers together.

Asami’s head whirled with Korra’s thick scent of pine and flames and winter breeze, the warmth of her skin, the urgent movement of lips against hers, pulling an ineloquent jumble of syllables from the older girl as she moved to kiss her neck.

Slender hands found their way to taut muscle, fingers aching to touch bare skin. She gave a sharp gasp when she felt a scrape of teeth against her skin, instinctively leaning further back against the chair to allow Korra more access.

“Please,” she whispered softly, the words heavy with a desperation she had never felt before as the hands receded.

Her eyelids slid open slowly, but Korra was gone, and so was her workshop. She now found herself standing in the middle of her childhood bedroom, the one she hadn’t seen since her mother’s death. It had been stripped bare, the shell of a small bedframe against one wall serving as the only decoration. Standing in the doorway was her father.

“Asami,” his voice was sharp, paralyzing her where she stood. She could not meet his eyes.

“I thought I told you to stay away from benders,” he said menacingly, taking a step towards her as his face contorted into rage.

“Dad –”

“Not to  _fall in love with the Avatar!_ ” she watched in horror as his face kept changing, skin bubbling on his face, twisted his features into a familiar mask.

“You’ve given me no choice, Asami.” It was Amon’s voice who spoke to her now, the glassy eyes of his mask boring into her as the walls around her began to slowly melt away. “I have to show you.”

As more and more of the room gave way to open air, Asami looked around again, feeling her stomach bottom out painfully as she recognized the Northern Air Temple in the distance.

“No,” she took another step back, then another, trying to distance herself from the words of the masked figure.

“You don’t need her,” he sneered, thrusting his finger at something over her shoulder. She halted, stiffening suddenly and turning around.

Her eyes met a pair of empty glass orbs, the last of an ethereal white light flickering out and dying as the chained Avatar fell unceremoniously to her feet.

She didn’t try to contain her scream.

* * *

 

A blast of air hit her in the face.

“ _Asami!_ ”

She awoke with a start, chest heaving, eyes locked on the dark wooden ceiling above her head.

“Are you ok?”

Her eyes found the source of the voice. Korra was lying in the twin bed beside her, a hand stretched out over the distance between them. It took a fraction of a second for the engineer to recognize the worried expression illuminated by moonlight in her eyes.

Asami said nothing, throwing off the covers and awkwardly forcing herself into a standing position. “I’m sorry for waking you,” she said quickly, looking away from the Avatar to banish the maelstrom of emotions raging in her head. Guilt surfaced among them. Korra had slept poorly enough  _without_ Asami waking her up in the middle of the night.

“It’s alright, ‘Sami,” Korra whispered, the briefest hint of a smile tugging at her lower lip. “I’m…actually glad I’m not the only one. And I used airbending to wake you up.”

Asami’s brows rose in surprise. “You were bending?” a hint of excitement crept into her tone as Korra nodded.

“Just a little,” she muttered, dropping her gaze back to the bed. “But…it’s something.”

The engineer lay a hand on her shoulder, feeling warmth rise to her cheeks as she recalled the first part of her dream. “That’s wonderful, Korra,” she said with a smile.

Soft blue eyes met hers again.

“Tell me about your dream?” she asked gently, catching the air in Asami’s chest for a moment longer than usual.

“I’d…rather not,” the older girl confessed softly, knowing the words weren’t necessary or needed. Korra had enough to deal with. She didn’t need Asami’s feelings to be added to that pile.

Korra seemed dissatisfied with the answer, but she nodded slowly. Using her arms, she carefully lifted herself off of the bed, dragging herself slowly away from the older girl.

“What are you doing?” Asami asked after watching her struggle for a few seconds.

“Giving you room,” Korra muttered as she moved.

“You really don’t have to do that.”

“Get in here, Asami Sato.”

The engineer froze at the use of her full name, emerald eyes meeting ice blue in the space between them. She felt the words that she couldn’t say dance on her tongue, threatening to spill out as the Avatar gave her first honest smile in who-know-how-long. Wordlessly, she slipped beneath the sheets, her breath hitching as a muscled arm locked protectively around her.

“Sweet dreams,” Korra muttered against her ear.


End file.
